Boot or shoe stiffener.



G. E. RULLINS.

BOOT OR SHOE STIFFENER.

APPLICATION ILED AUG. 12. 19x4.

1 1 84,66 1 Patented May 23, 1916.

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BOOT 0R SHOE STIFFENER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, m4.

1 1 84,66 1 Patented Ma y 23, 1916.

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Tocll whomz'tmay concern:

Be it known, that I, G'EORGE E. Ronnms, a citizen of the United States,and. a resident of Brockton, Plymouth county, Massach r setts,haveinvented an Improvement in Boot or Shoe Stifl eners, of which thefolpointed out in the appended ration of heel counter lowingdescription,in. connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,likecharacters on the drawmgs representing like parts.

This invention relates to stifi'eners for jfboots and shoes, and is moreparticularly concernedn'ith a novel heel counter or toebox, and methodof making the same. R My inrentionwill be best understood by referenceto lithe following specification, when taken in Connection with theaccomvpanying drawing of one specific embodr merit of a heel counter,and one of'a toe box,

while its scope will be more particularly claims.

in the drawings: Figure l is a side cleembodying my invention; Fig.2 isabottom plan ofjlhe same;

Fig.3 is a sectional View on line 3 -3 of Fig. 2; Fig. t is a 'sldeelevation of a toe box embodying my invention; Fig 5 is a bottom planpfthe same; Fig. 6 1S a sectional' View on, line, 66 ofFig. 5; Fig.- 7

the r malring the heel counter; Fig. 8 18 a secis a sectional newsimilar to stiffenanr'l strengthen the shoe about the is a 1plan of ablank preparedaccording to rat step in the preferred method. of

tional View on lined-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 to Fig. 8, but

showing the stiffener having fixed thereto a "reinforcing element; andFig. 10 is a vertics-l cross-sectional of ashes having a my invention. I

, Referring to the drawings, and first more view of the heel portionheel counter embodying particuhirly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7 to 10, in-

clusive, which illustrate, one form or embodiment'o'l my invention,method of making the-same, I have there shown a heel counter having anupstanding V flange lL-and an?inwardly-turned flange 12,presenting'at-thelr juncture an. angular outer corner 18, preferablysubstantially a right. angle. It is desire is that the up.- standingflange shall be relatively thick-and stiifiin order to have the nccessarstability heelportiou of the same. Therefore, the

. upstanding flange is by preference mad-e frelatii ely thiclc andstill, -,Wardlyturned flange is preferably rela- Specification oiletters Patent.

Application filed August 12,1914.

and the preferred rateneeu May 23,1916; Serial an. easier.

tively thin and flexible up to a point, contiguous to itsjuncturc withthe upstanding flange, whereby it forms at that point a species oi.hinge having capacity for flexing both before and after it is built intothe boot or shoe. It will be observed, more over, that the lower surfaceof this flange is substantially flush with the lower edge of theupstanding flange,-and that it provides a flatter bottom surface thanheel counters heretofore in use. Its use eliminates the cracking of thematerial incidental to bending the whole thickness of the blank, andinsures permanence of shape of the stiffener before, as Well as after,it has been built into the shoe. The stiffener possesses the furtheradvantage of makin the heel seat of the completed been possibleheretofore, and produces a heel seat which is substantially flush withthe heel, as shown in Fig. 10. 5

shoe much nrmer than has According to the preferred method or making thedescribed h'eel counter, I first prepare .a blank 14 of appropriatematerial, such for example as leather, Whose curved edge will be skivedin the customary man ner, while its straight edge which-is to form theinwardly-turned flange, instead of being skived in the ordinary manner,is reduced in thickness by ren'ioving from the pieceof sheet material at15 a portion of its thicliness, thus forming, with the relativelythicker portion of the blank, an abrupt shoulder 16. Thismay be the useof an appropriate channeling knife, or other suitable implement capableof splitting the leather from its bottom edge to a point '17,'and thencutting inwardly from What to be the outer face of the finished heelcounter the proper distance from its edge to remove a piece from theoutside, leaving the first cut or slit extending a slight distancebeyond the shoulder 16, for a purpose which will presently appear.

If desired, the heel counter may be made Withoutany reinforcement, butsome manufacturers prefer to reinforce the heel counters, and in suchcases, a reiz-ir'orcement Sll'lll lar to the reinforcement 18 may beaflixed .to the inner iace of .theblank, and with a ner face oftheblank. Aft-erthe' blank'has been thus prepared, it is than shaped byaccomplished by j or otherwise appropriately ailixed to the in 11'sappropriate instrumentalities in a manner similar to the usual method ofmaking heel counters, by bending the relatively thicker portion of theblank along its central portion into generally U-sliaped form, andturning or wiping the reduced marginal portion inwardly toward theinside of' the curve thus made, whereby the shoulder previously turnedflange may, of course, becrimped more or less in forming the same, butowing to its reduced thickness, the excessive crimping of the flanges asheretoforeformed, is avoided, and a flatter and less bulky flange isproduced.

The inwardly turned flange may .be slit or notched, if desired, as inthe case of the toebox hereinafter described, but I find this to beunnecessaryin the case of the heel counter, because in wiping the flangeinwardly, no difliculty is experienced in making the same perfectlysmooth without the excessive plaiting which characterizes heel countersas heretofore made.

, Referring now to Fig. 10, wherein I have shown in vertical crosssection the heel portion of a shoe, it will be observed that the reducedflexible flange produces a' hinge- .like connection between the heelseat and the upper of the shoe, and permits a degree of flexibilityimpossible with the use'of heel countersas heretofore employed, as wellas preserving a straight flush eflect of the heel seat and preventingpermanent distortion.

- Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have there shown a toe box 20,embodying my invention, the same being provided with an inwardly turnedflange 21, formed accord ing to the describedmethod, and differingtherefrom only in thatthe flange at the toe portion of the box ispreferably provided with a plurality of slits or notches 22, to preventthe flange from bum-hing as it is wiped inwardly at the round of thetoe. If desired, these slits'may be omitted, especially in cases wherethe toe of the completed shoe 1 is so wide that it will be found to beunnecessary. The invention as applied to the toe box possesses all theadvantages described in connection with the heel counter,

including the angular outer corner, the flexibility of the inwardlyturned flange, and the freedom from cracking at the corner, as

well as the flush appearance of the completed shoe.

While I have herein shown and described two specific forms orembodiments of my invention for illustrative purposes, and havedisclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangementincidental to two specific applications thereof, it is to be understoodthat the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relativearrangement of parts, nor to the specific enibodiments herein shown, butthat extensive deviations from the illustratedforms or enibodiments ofthe invention may be made, without departing from the principlesthereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to procure is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a

stiffener of fibrous material for boots and shoes having an upstandingflange, and an integral inwardly turnedfiange having a I generallyU-shaped inner edge, said flanges presenting at their juncture an abruptchange. in thickness, said inwardly turned flange being substantiallythinner adjacent said juncture than said upstanding flange, and saidupstanding flange being substantially uniform in thickness from apointedjacent said juncture a substantial distance toward its oppositemarginal portion.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a stiffener of fibrous material forboots and shoes having an upstanding flange and an integralinwardly'turned marginal flange which, as compared with said upstandingflange is relatively thin and has substantially parallel inner and outersurfaces up to a point substantially in line with the inner surface ofsaid upstanding flange, said marginal flange having a generally U-shaped inneredge, and said flanges presenting adjacent their juncturetwo outer surfaces substantially at right angles tov each other.

3; As a new articlev of manufacture, a

stiffener for boots and shoes having an up standing .fiai'ige' and arelatively thin integral flange wl ich'is bent and turned in- I wardiy,at a pointsomewhat above the lower corner oftheiupstanding'flange andhas its lower surface substantially flush with an angularouter'corner'formedj by the lower edge of the upstandingflange the outerface of the'latter. I j i In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification, in'the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i

GEORGE ROL'LINS.

Witnesses:

Louis A. JoNEs, CLARA L. STUART.

